Improved submarine vessel and life-boat



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UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE.

JOHN BACHMANN, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVED SUBMARINE VESSEL AND LIFE-BOAT.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 44,380, dated September 27, 1864.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, JOHN BAOHMANN, ot' Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State ot New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Submarine Vessels and LifeBoats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this speciication, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of a submarine vessel illustrating my invention, partly in section, as indicated by the line v w. Fig. 2 isa sectional elevation of the same, the plane ot' section being indicated by said line x a'. Fig. 3 is an end elevation, this view also being made partly in section as represented by the line y y. Fig. 4 is a front end elevation represent? v ing the wings or side pieces, to be hereinafter described, inaclosed condition and the vessel submerged. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detached sectional views illustrating my improved method of attaching and operating` the propelling devices. Fig. 8 is a detached view representing an improved construction of hinge to be employed in connection with my improved vessel.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts'in the several gures.

rlhis invention consists in certain improve` ments in vessels designed to be submerged and rapidly propelled while in this condition for discovering and raising sunken vessels,

safely depositing torpedoes, and for other,

purposes.

rlhe inventien is also well adapted for the purpose of a lifeboat.

In order that others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may be enabled to fully understand and use the same, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a vessel, the main body of which is constructed in nearly cylindrical form and tapered toward the ends, so as to promote the rapidity of its progress through the water and adapt the necessary evolutions thereof to be performed with readiness and celerity. This vessel or main body A rests on a flat-bottomed hull or section, A, which may serve to render the sailing and floating movements of vthe vessel steady and regula-r, and thus provide for the occupants as comfortable a con. veyance as other boats or vessels of small capacity.

In the frontend of the vessel A is providrd a lookout, A2, which, as illustrated in t` e drawings, may consist Aof a number of gla s disks inserted in a strong frame o irovl er other metal, which is employed to prevent the breaking of the glass should the vessel accidentally strike an obstacle.

On the upper part of the vessel A and at the respective sides of a suitable opening formed therein are mounted wings B/B, the ends ot' which are provided with plates B Bf, which are adapted to slide within the triangular wings B2 B2, secured to the end pieces, B3 B3. The wings B B2 are attached, respectively, to the vessel A and end pieces, B3, by hinges B4, which are of peculiar construction and eectually prevent the entrance of Water into the vessel without the necessity of employing any additional appliance. One ot' these hingesv and the manner of attaching the wings are clearly illustrated in Fig. S. The form of the hinge may approximate more or less to that of a hollow cylinder, and that portion of each ot' the wings which occupies the hinge is made in corresponding cylindrical form, as shown at b', so as to tit snugly therein and form aperfectly water-tightjoint. The hinge is provided with a longitudinal opening, as illustrated, which admits of the ready insertion of the cylindrical portion Z1 of the wing, and adapts said wing to be turned on its axis b in an inward or outward direction to an extentot'fortyfi\'e degrees, (more or less,) for the purpose to be explained. The plates B' are attached to the wings B by hinges B4, similar in construction to those above de scribed.

C represents a longitudinal piece or beam, to each side of which is secured a strip, c, ot' rubber or other suitable impervious material. When the wings are to be closed to adapt thc vessel for submarine operations,the end wings, B2, fold in against the sections B3 and the side wings, B,against the beam C in such manner that the entrance of water at top is effectual] y prevented.

Between the wings B and near the ends thereof are screws D, (one shown in Fig. 2,)

which are mounted and adapted to rotate in suitable bed-plates, Df, secured in the upper part of the vessel A. f

On each ofthe screws D is adapted to work a sliding collar, D2, to Which are jointed arms D3, the latter being jointed at their opposite ends to the Wings B.

Ilie respective screws D operatein connection with a worm, D, on the shaft D5, and a toothed wheel, D6, keyed upon the lower end ofthe screw, adapts the same to rotate simultaneously with the shaft D5, the latter being adapted for rotation through the medium of 'a crank-handle, D7, gear-wheel d, and pinion df, with which devices the shaft D5 may be provided at one or both ends, as may be desired. rIhus, by the-rotation of the cranklaudle D7, the threaded collar D2 may be caused to run either down or up on the screw D, and thereby operate the varms D3 in such manner as to open or close the wings B B2. When the win gs are folded in, the apparatus will float in an almost submerged condition, as represented in Fig. 4, or be prepared for entire submersion when submarine operations are to be performed but whenthe wings are open the apparatus will rise and float in the position in Fig. 3.

E E E E represent propelling devices,which consist individually of a pair of leaves secured to an arm, E', by means of small hinges e, similar in construction to those indicated by the ll tter B". The inner end ot' the arm E is inrerted into a socket, E7, on the arm E8, and retained therein by a pin, c', the said arm E8 oc( upying a conical cavity or aperture, E2, in the side ot' the vessel A, and being inserted into and operated through the medium of a shaft, E3, which shaft rests against and effectually closes the inner end of the conical aperture E2. The shaft E3 is tted to rotate in a box or block, E4, which may be turned in .\uh manner as to place the shaft E3 in either a vertical, horizontal, or any oblique position it may be desired to have it assume in order to vary and regulate the manner or direction in which its corresponding propeller E acts. l'.` ach shaft E3 may have a rotary reciprocatory motion imparted vto it by a handle, E6, and by the turning of these y handles E6 the propellersE may be oscillated with great facility and rapidity.

The socket ET provides means for the ready l reglacement of the propellers E should they bcome broken or deranged.

F may represent a series of propellers secured upon a shaft, F', which passes tra-nsversely through the vessel A at the central This shaft F is adapted to portion thereof.

be turned completely round, whereby the pro pellers F may be readily made to act upon the Water in an upward, downward, or other direction. These propellers F are of the same construction as the propellers E.

G represents the rudder, which may be operated in any suitable manner.

On the forward end of the vessel A is formed a groove, a, in which may be placed a cord, which holds a torpedo or other explosive device.

H H represent arms, which may be operated from within the vessel in such manner as tov remove the cord from the groove a, and deposit the explosive device in the place where it is desired to have it explode.

The wings B B2 and end srctions, B, are studded with a series of glass disks, b, through Which submarine observations may be taken in all directions.

.I I represent Ventilating-tubes, in the upper ends of which are valves t' t', which may be opened and closed at will by means of a cord or rope Wire.

Operation: When the vessel is to be lowered beneath the surface of the water, (the wings having been closed in the manner descrbed,) this may be accomplished by working'tle propellers Fin such manner as that they will act upon the water in an upward direction, the propellers F assistingv in the operation and providing means by which may be regulated the degree' of inclination in which the apparatus descends. When the vessel is to be brought to the surface, the position ot' the propellers is reversed to effect this object.

It it be desired, the vessel maybe converted in to a sail-boat, when the win gs are in an open condition, by substitutinga mast for either ot' the Ventilating-tubesl I, or employing the tubes themselves in this capacity.

Having thus described my invention, the

secure by Letters Patent:

l. The wings B B2 and plates B', colstructed, arranged, and operating in the manner described, and employed in connection with the vessel A A', as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination ofthe block E4, shaft E3, and handle E, constructed and arranged as described, and employed for operating the propellers E, in the manner set forth.

3. The hinges B4 e, formed in one piece and adapted to. prevent the entrance of Water, substantially as herein described.

f JOHN BAUHMANN.

Witnesses:

L. H. DUFFT, H. KROUPH.

following is what I claim as new and desire to 4 

